Spark plug center

ABSTRACT

A cylindrical adapter fits on a freon canister and has an inverted frust-conical top with a central upstanding tubular member. An upper housing is supported upon the adapter for limited rotational movement relative thereto and carries a control tube extending downwardly through the tubular member of the adapter with a valve actuating member at its lower end to puncture the valve of the canister and provide a gas jet upwardly through the control tube. The housing has a central top opening to receive and seal with a spark plug which upon insertion presses the control tube downwardly to open the canister valve. Registering openings through the sides of the two tubes admit sand to the gas stream from the recess in the top of the adapter, and provision is made for closing the openings by turning of the housing and its control tube relative to the adapter and its tubular member. A shield returns the spent sand to the recess for re-use, and openings in the housing provide an escape for the spent freon.

United States Patent Romanowicz, Jr.

[ Oct. 21, 1975 SPARK PLUG CENTER 690,408 6/1930 France 51/8 [76]Inventor: Karl J. Romanowicz, Jr., 7709 W.

Bobolink Place k 7 Primary Exammer-Donald G. Kelly 53218 1 wau ee SAttorney, Agent, or FirmAndrus, Sceales, Starke &

Sawall [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 353,546 STRACT [44]published under the Trial voluntary Protest A cylindrical adapter fitson a freon canister and has Program on January 28 1975 as d 0 Cu m em noan inverted frust-conical top with a central upstanding B 353 546tubular member. An upper housing is supported upon the adapter forlimited rotational movement relative thereto and carries a control tubeextending downl E 5 g g gg wardly through the tubular member of theadapter [58] Fie'ld l2 8 SP with a valve actuating member at its lowerend to puncture the valve of the canister and provide a gas [56]References Cited ilet upwardlyl tthrough the (tIOfltfOl tLlb.;l1lhoutslilng as a centra op openIng 0 receive an sea WI 21 UNITED STATESPATENTS spark plug which upon insertion presses the control 1,537,902tube downwardly to pen the anister valve Register- 2007'844 7/1935 Bahko51/8 ing openings through the sides of the two tubes admit gabezzana 213 sand to the gas stream from the recess in the top of 2458825 W949 23:J the adapter, and provision :is made for closing the 2475'215 7/1949t': openings by turning of the housing and its control tube 2:846:3208/1953 Pets; relative to the adapter and its tubular member. A 3,435,5614/1969 Mori 51/8 Shield returns the Spent sand to the recess for3,604,156 9/1971 Diggs 51/8 and openings in the housing provide anescape for the FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS spent 829,262 1/1952Germany 51/8 10 i 4 wi g Figures I Sw I K 1. I 4 7 6 2/ =21 5/ T t 6 E,0 s I 78 3 2 3 SPARK PLUG CENTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to a spark plug cleaner adapted to sand blast theoperative face of a spark plug to clean the same, and which finds use bymechanics in garages, service stations or at home.

Heretofore, sand blast spark plug cleaners have generally utilizedcompressed air from the usual compressor available in garages andservice stations. These have not been adapted for home use and are infact useless away from available compressed air.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention the sparkplug cleaner utilizes a freon canister as a pressurized source of gasand generally comprises a housing containing a quantity of sand andhaving an adapter for mounting the housing upon a canister.

A central vertical tubular member extends downwardly through the bottomof the housing into contact with the central valve of the canisterwhereby a limited downward movement of the member will open the canistervalve and thereby discharge pressurized gas from the canister. Thecanister valve remains closed when the tubular member is free ofdownward bias.

The top of the housing has a central opening adapted to receive and sealwith a spark plug which is inserted face down into engagement with thetubular member to effect its actuation and to receive the impact of thedischarged pressurized gas as the latter travels up the tubular member.

The housing contains a quantity of sand and has means to feed the sameinto the tubular member through one or more radial openings in thelatter so that sand becomes entrained in the rapidly moving stream ofpressurized gas flowing upwardly in the tubular member and impacts theface of the spark plug.

Appropriate openings in the upper end of the tubular member provide fora return of sand to the housing and the release of spent gas into thehousing and out through screened top openings therein.

Means are provided for relative rotation between the housing and thetubular member to selectively shut off or open the supply of sand to themember from the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing furnished herewithillustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor forcarrying out the subject invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a transverse vertical central section showing the cleanermounted upon a canister of pressurized gas, and with a spark plugpositioned ready for cleaning;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tubular member employed to direct ablast of pressurized gas from the DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT With reference to the drawing, the spark plug cleanerillustrated comprises an upper housing 1, a lower housing or adapter 2and a central vertical tubular member 3.

The upper housing 1 is of inverted cup shape with a central opening 4 inits substantially flat top 5 to receive a spark plug 6 to be cleaned.

The sides or skirt 7 of housing I extend down to rest upon the rim 8 ofadapter 2 and the two are secured together by a pair of bayonet,connections on opposite sides and providing for limited rotation ofhousing 1 relative to adapter 2.

For this purpose the side or skirt of housing 1 has opposite radialprojections 9 which enter into inwardly facing circumferential grooves10 in rim 8.

The adapter 2 is also of inverted cup shape with a recessed invertedfrusto-conical top 11 having a central opening 12 therein in verticalalignment with opening 4.

The outer skirt 13 of adapter 2 extends downwardly to rest upon andinterlock with the outer upper rim 14 of a canister 15 of pressurizedgas such as freon.

The central opening 12 of the adapter 2 is defined by a tubular sleeve16 secured therein and preferably adapted to extend down to near thevalve cartridge 17 of canister 15.

The sleeve 16 extends upwardly from the conically recessed top 10 of theadapter with one or more vertical slots 18 in its upper edge.

The tubular member 3 is adapted to fit down through the sleeve 16 with acentral projection 19 adapted to engage valve 17 and to penetrate thesame upon downward movement for the purpose of releasing pressurized gasfrom the canister into tubular member 3.

The upper end of tubular member 3 is adapted to be engaged by the faceof spark plug 6 for the purpose of pushing the member downwardly andthereby effecting opening of valve 17.

For this purpose the upper end of member 3 is preferably funnel-shapedat 20 with radial plates 21 extend ing upwardly and also outwardly onedge to be engaged by the spark'plug 6 and space the upper funnel edgeof member 3 from the spark plug so that spent gases and sand may escapefrom the region of the face of the spark plug over the edge of funnel20.

Downward pressure by spark plug 6 upon member 3 effects opening of valve17 and a consequent blast of gas against the face of the spark plug 6.

When downward pressure is no longer applied as when spark plug 6 isremoved, the valve 17 generally forces member 3 upwardly to a. positionwhere pressurized gas is no longer discharged from the canister.

The tubular member 3 is provided with radial openings 22 therethroughdisposed. to register with corresponding slots 18 in sleeve 16.

A quantity of sand 23 is stored on the top 11 of adapter 2 and isdirected downwardly and inwardly to feed by gravity through slots 18 andopenings 22 into the stream of gas rising upwardly in the centralpassage in member 3.

The sand thus entering the: upward gas stream is blasted against theface of spark plug '6 to dislodge carbon deposit therefrom and clean theplug.

Spent sand will tend to follow the gas stream over the edge of funnel 20and then fall back onto the recessed inverted frusto-conical top 11 ofadapter 2 to become a part of the stored sand 23.

Any sand residue that might stick to the face of the spark plug 6 aftera sand blast operation may be removed by a clean air blast which can beeffected by closing off the supply of sand to tubular member 3.

For this purpose the plates 21 are disposed to interlock rotationallywith housing 1 so that limited rotation of the housing relative toadapter 2 will effect turning of member 3 in sleeve 16 and amisalignment of holes 22 and slots 18.

This interlock is provided by disposing the outer edges of plates 21 invertical grooves 24 in a divider shield 25 depending from housing top 5.

The divider shield 25 is like a skirt and has approximately one-half theradius of skirt 7 and it extends downwardly beyond the upper edge offunnel 20 so as to direct gas and sand flowing outwardly over the edgeof the funnel downwardly to drop the sand as previously described.

The gas then ducks under the lower edge of divider shield 25 and isfinally discharged upwardly through screened openings 26 in top ofhousing 1.

Rotation of housing 1 and tubular member 3 relative to adapter 2 islimited by the length of the grooves which receive projections 9interlocking the housing to the adapter.

If desired an inner skirt 27 may depend from the inverted conical top 11of the adapter to engage an intermediate raised portion of the canistertop and increase the stability of the device in its mounting uponcanister 15.

The tubular member 3 constitutes a sand blast nozzle which receives itsair stream from canister at one end, receives a supply of sand centrallythereof and blasts the sand against the spark plug face at its otherend.

The upper housing member 1 and lower adapter member 2 cooperate witheach other to provide an enclosed sand blast chamber 28 containing sand23 in the bottom thereof.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out anddistinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention.

I claim:

1. A spark plug cleaner comprising a sand blast nozzle, means to supporta spark plug with its face aligned with the discharge from said nozzle,a canister of pressurized gas, and adapter means to mount said nozzleupon said canister of pressurized gas for operating the nozzle.

2. The construction of claim 1 comprising two inverted cup shapedmembers, the upper one supported upon the lower one and cooperatingtherewith as a housing to provide an enclosed sand blast chambercontaining sand in the bottom thereof and the other being adapted to besupported upon said canister of pressurized gas, upwardly directednozzle means in said chamber, means to position a spark plug facing saidnozzle means in said chamber, and means to supply pressurized gas fromsaid canister to said nozzle to actuate the same.

3. The construction of claim 2 in which said nozzle means comprises avertical tube having openings therein for receiving sand from saidchamber, said last named means comprises an extension of said verticaltube downwardly to the canister, and means are provided in said chamberto salvage sand spent in blasting the face of the spark plug.

4. The construction of claim 3 and means to close the openings in saidvertical tube to prevent sand from entering the same, wherebypressurized gas free from sand impinges upon the face of the spark plugto clean excess sand and dirt therefrom.

5. The construction of claim 2 in which said nozzle means comprises avertical tube in said chamber, said last named means comprises anextension of said vertical tube downwardly to the canister, and meansmounting said tube for vertical movement to thereby actuate thedischarge valve of the canister by a downward movement of said tube.

6. The construction of claim 5 in which the upper end of said tubeconstitutes means supporting the spark plug, and manual downwardpressure upon the spark plug effects downward movement of said tube toactuate the discharge valve of the canister.

7. The construction of claim 4 in which said means to close the openingsin said vertical tube comprise a ported sleeve fixed in the top of saidlower cup shaped member, the ports of said sleeve registering with theopenings in said tube to admit sand therethrough, and means to rotatesaid vertical tube relative to said sleeve to eliminate such registry.

8. The construction of claim 7 in which the top of said lower memberconstitutes the bottom of said sand blast chamber and is shaped in aninverted frustrum of a cone to direct sand into said ports.

9. The construction of claim 7 in which said vertical tube isinterlocked rotationally with said upper member, and said upper memberis rotationally supported by said lower member.

10. The construction of claim 3 in which said last named means comprisesin part an inner skirt depending from the top of said upper member tobelow the level of theupper end of said tube, means spacing the upperend of said tube from the face of the spark plug to be sand blasted, andmeans in the top of said upper member outwardly of said inner skirt forthe escape of gas, whereby the jet stream of gas blasting the face ofthe spark plug escapes over the top edge of said tube carrying with itthe sand and dirt which then falls to the bottom of the chamber as thegases change course in ducking under the edge of said inner skirt.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPATENT NO. 3,913,273 DATED October 21, 1975 INV ENTOR(S) Karl J.Romanowicz, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Title: Cancel "Center" and substitute --Cleaner-- Column 1, line1: Cancel "Center" and substitute -Cleaner-- Signed and Scaled this RUTHC. MASON Arresting Officer C' MARSHALL DANN Commissioner uj'latems andTrademarks

1. A spark plug cleaner comprising a sand blast nozzle, means to supporta spark plug with its face aligned with the discharge from said nozzle,a canister of pressurized gas, and adapter means to mount said nozzleupon said canister of pressurized gas for operating the nozzle.
 2. Theconstruction of claim 1 comprising two inverted cup shaped members, theupper one supported upon the lower one and cooperating therewith as ahousing to provide an enclosed sand blast chamber containing sand in thebottom thereof and the other being adapted to be supported upon saidcanister of pressurized gas, upwardly directed nozzle means in saidchamber, means to position a spark plug facing said nozzle means in saidchamber, and means to supply pressurized gas from said canister to saidnozzle to actuate the same.
 3. The construction of claim 2 in which saidnozzle means comprises a vertical tube having openings therein forreceiving sand from said chamber, said last named means comprises anextension of said vertical tube downwardly to the canister, and meansare provided in said chamber to salvage sand spent in blasting the faceof the spark plug.
 4. The construction of claim 3 and means to close theopenings in said vertical tube to prevent sand from entering the same,whereby pressurized gas free from sand impinges upon the face of thespark plug to clean excess sand and dirt therefrom.
 5. The constructionof claim 2 in which said nozzle means comprises a vertical tube in saidchamber, said last named means comprises an extension of said verticaltube downwardly to the canister, and means mounting said tube forvertical movement to thereby actuate the discharge valve of the canisterby a downward movement of said tube.
 6. The construction of claim 5 inwhich the upper end of said tube constitutes means supporting the sparkplug, and manual downward pressure upon the spark plug effects downwardmovement of said tube to actuate the discharge valve of the canister. 7.The construction of claim 4 in which said means to close the openings insaid vertical tube comprise a ported sleeve fixed in the top of saidlower cup shaped member, the ports of said sleeve registering with theopenings in said tube to admit sand therethrough, and means to rotatesaid vertical tube relative to said sleeve to eliminate such registry.8. The construction of claim 7 in which the top of said lower memberconstitutes the bottom of said sand blast chamber and is shaped in aninverted frustrum of a cone to direct sand into said ports.
 9. Theconstruction of claim 7 in which said vertical tube is interlockedrotationally with said upper member, and said upper member isrotationally supported by said lower member.
 10. The construction ofclaim 3 in which said last named means comprises in part an inner skirtdepending from the top of said upper member to below the level oftheupper end of said tube, means spacing the upper end of said tube fromthe face of the spark plug to be sand blasted, and means in the top ofsaid upper member outwardly of said inner skirt for the escape of gas,whereby the jet stream of gas blasting the face of the spark plugescapes over the top edge of said tube carrying with it the sand anddirt which then falls to the bottom of the chamber as the gases changecourse in ducking under the edge of said inner skirt.